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Citing “our society’s mistrust of elites, intellectualism and academic expertise,” for example, Bardon envisions the board playing “an important role…by overseeing the pursuit of diversity in the Harvard Community” specifically, “demonstrat[ing] that our graduates are neither privileged nor out of touch.” Carney highlights the importance of sustainability, via “new engineering technologies (such as AI), new governance mechanisms to apply those technologies (such as data privacy), new financial technologies (to address the tragedy of the horizon at the heart of the climate crisis) and new political technologies (including social movements and new international governance mechanisms) to forge the consensus and create the urgency for action that is implemented in a timely and just manner” requiring a university that “doesn’t only pursue excellence in each discipline but that creates breakthroughs by being connected across them.” And L
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/ Caroline Culler
In light of the importance of the annual election for members of Harvard’s Board of Overseers and heightened interest stemming from last year’s vigorously contested results and the possibility of a similar contest this year
Harvard Magazine is providing enhanced coverage. We asked each candidate presented by the HAA nominating committee and each member of the Harvard Forward slate seeking a place on the ballot by petition to answer these questions:
• What are the most important challenges facing the University and what are its most significant opportunities?
• What is the Board of Overseers’ role in Harvard’s response to those challenges and in its efforts to realize those opportunities?
Harvard announced the candidates nominated for positions on the Board of Overseers â the Universityâs second-highest governing body â and for elected directorships in the Harvard Alumni Association on Tuesday.
The Board of Overseers is responsible for providing input on decisions about the direction of the University, advising top Harvard administrators, and approving certain actions by the Universityâs highest governing board, the Harvard Corporation. Its members serve six-year terms.
The eight Harvard alumni contending for the five anticipated vacancies on the Board work in a wide array of professional fields and live in the United States, Canada, and Spain. They are: Oncology Impact Fund managing director and Burrage Capital founder Christiana G. Bardon; United Nations Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance Mark J. Carney â87; Principal and Director of Business Development at HOK Group Kimberly N. Dowdell; Robert Morris University President Christo
Photographs courtesy of Harvard Alumni Association
With the announcement today of the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) nominating committee’s candidates for the Board of Overseers, a second consecutive, competitive campaign for election to the governing board appears to be shaping up. Harvard Forward (HF) last year succeeded in qualifying five candidates for the ballot by securing signatures on nominating petitions, and three were elected. Their success was significant and set in motion developments that will shape this spring’s voting (which begins April 1):
• The HF candidates advocated an issues-focused platform of divestment from fossil-fuel investments, other changes in endowment investment policy, and changes in governance a view of the Overseers’ role at odds with the University’s model of governance, which vests fiduciary responsibilities in the Corporation, and assigns academic oversight and general advisory responsibilities to the Board of Overseers.